Combined helicopter and aeroplane



Feb. 2,19%. 1,571,647

A. V. SANTARSIERO v COMBINED HELICOPTER AND AEROPLANE Filed 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2; 1926.

A. V. SANTARSIERQ COMBINED HELICOPTER AND AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 5, 1923 2 SheetsSheet 2 I 61mm;

Patented Feb. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO: V. SANTARSIERO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. I

COMBINED HELICOPTER AND AEROPLANE.

' Application filed December 5, 1923. SeriaLN'o. 678,759.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, ANTONIO V. SANTAR- SIERO, a citizen of 'the United States, re-

siding at New York, in the county of N ew.

York and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in a Combined Helicopter and Aeroplanc,-of

which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a combined helicopter and aeroplane having for its principal object to provide means for landing and launching air-vehicles, particularly aeroplanes of the monoplane or biplane type.

An important object of the invention is to provide means; whereby an air-vehicle may be launched in a comparatively restricted area by being provided with means-whereby it may be raised comparatively vertically, that is to say making it unnecessary for the vehicle to travel a long distance with a gradual ascent. The same advantages are gained'in landing the wehicle, in that the device may be used to facilitate bringing thevehicle to earth in a comparatively small running space and without the danger of damaging the same.

Another very important object of the invention is to generally improve upon the helicopter features thereof by providing a mechanism which is simple and eflicient in structure, reliable in operation, durable, and

designed. 7

With the above and numerous other objects in vie-w as will appearas the description progresses, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts,

as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device is shown for the purpose of illustration, as applied to an air-vehicle of the biplane type. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional type of biplane, as shown in the ap' plication of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a top planview thereof,

I Figure 3 is a frontelevation thereof,

Figure 4 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

v Figure 5 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

well adaptedto the purpose for which it is Figure 6 is a detail section showing thechassis indicated at B. A propeller D is mounted at the forward end of the fuselage and 1S driven by a'suitable engine mounted therein.

ing apparatus E is preferably mounted on the rear of the fuselage. The parts thus far described are all of conventional construction except as may be hereinafter specified and, of course, may be varied without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

The top wing or plane A in the present instance is constructed with a plurality of depending funnel-shaped members leach of which communicates with a pipe 2. These pipes 2 lead toward the center of the fuselage C and communicate with a pipe 3. This pipe 3 extends downwardly through the fuselage and is then bent forwardly and upwardly terminating in a funnel-shaped outlet 4 immediately under the fuselage as is indicated to advantage in Figures 1 and 3,-

it being noted that the funnel also terminates immediately under the lower wing or plane A when the device is used in conjunction .These propellers 7 preferably have their blades pitched at angles of approximately forty five degrees. A lever 9 is pivoted intermediate its ends on each bracket 6 and terminates in a forked end 10 straddling the shaft 5 and engaged with a clutch element 11 so that by swinging this lever this clutch element 11 may be engaged with the clutch element 8 on the adjacent propeller. The levers 9 are connected at their outer ends by a rod 13 which extends longitudinally with the forwardedge of the upper wing'A so that a connecting rod 14 may be attached thereto and extend .downinto the. fuselage thus Any suitable conventional guidimpinge against the fuselage attits bottom thereby tending to raise the same. "It will thus be seen that a greater efiiciency is gained a from the propellers and their full lifting force utilized. a

In realizing the advantages of the construction contemplated by this invention, at the time of launching, the pilot will pull downwardly upon the rod 14 to" connect the various clutch elements 8 and 11 so as to start rotation of the propellers 7, whereupon the machine is enabled to raise without the customa climb and of course when it has reached 1; e desired height the driving propeller D maybe started in the usual well nown manner. In landinggthe device may again be brought into operation as-just explained and when in operation the dr1v1ng propeller D may be stopped and by decreasingflthe speed gradually of the propellers 7, itwill belseen that the aeroplane may brought to the ground in a comparatlvely restricted space.

While the referred embodiment of my invention has een described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to' the particular construction set forth, sincevarious changes in the form, roportions, and arrangement of parts, an in the details of construction may be resorted to P without departing from the spirit and scope of the, invention, or, destroying any of the advantages contained in the same. 7 Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is:

1. In an aeroplane of the class described, a fuselage, a wing on the fuselage, .a helicopter mechanism associated with the aeroplane including a propeller mounted on the wing, and means for downwardly conveying the current of air set up by said propeller and delivering it upwardly against the bottom of the fuselage. Y i I 2. In an aeroplane of the class described, a fuselage, a wing on the fuselage, a ipe leading from the'wing below the fuse age and curved upwardly so as to terminate in close proximity to the bottom of the fuselage, and a propeller disposed to rotate adjacent the up r end manner and orvthe purpose specified. I

3. In an aeroplane of the class described,

of the pipe,- all in the as to terminateadjacent the bottom of said fuselage, and a propeller rotatably mounted above the wing and above the funnel-shaped member so that when the same is rotated a current of air will pass through the funnelshaped member, through the pipe and be implnged against the bottom of the fuselage.

4. In an aeroplane of the class described, a fuselage, a wing mounted on the fusela e, a pluralit of funnel-shaped members ependin rom the wing, pipes depending from the funnelshaped members and communlcatin therewith, another pipe passing I through the fuselage and communicatin with the other 5 pipe being curve upwardl under the fuselage so as to terminate ad acent its bottom, a plurality of propellers one disposed above each funnel-shaped member, and a clutch .mechanism associated with each ropeller.

5. In an aeroplane of the class escribed, a fuselage, a winginounted on the' fusela e, a pluralit of funnel-shaped members epending from the funnel-shaped mem rs and communicating therewith, another pipe passing through the fuselage and communicating with the other pipe, said last' mentioned ipe be being curved upwardly under the fuse age so as to terminate adjacent its bottom, a plurality of propellers one dis osed above each funnel-shaped member, a c utch mechanism associated with each propeller, and a common control mechanism for the clutch mech anism.

. 6. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, a wing on the fuselage, a funnel-shaped member decurved upwardly at its bottom end so as to terminate .under the fuselage, and a propeller disposed to rotate above the funnelsha ed member so that a current of air set up y the propeller will ass through the funnel-shaped member, t rough the ipe iind impinge against the bottom of'the seage.

pipes, said last mentione 3 rom the wing, pi as depending ending from the wing, a pipe communicatling with said funnel-shaped member and Ill 7, In an aeroplane of the class described,

a fuselage, a ropeller disposed to rotate in a substantia y horizontal plane above the fuselage for thereby tendin to lift the same vertically fromthe' groun and means for receiving-the current of air set up upon rotation of said propeller so as to convey the same downwardlyl upwardly beneat lage.

8. In an aeroplane of the class described, a wing mounted on'the fuselage, haped member depending from the bottom of the fusea' fusel e, a funne and then direct the same J the Wing, a pipe communicating with the funnel-shaped member and curved so as to terminate immediately below the fuselage, a bracket across the funnel-shaped member, a shaft journalled -through said bracket, a propeller mounted on the shaft so as to rotate independently thereof and including a clutch element, a lever pivoted on' the bracket, a second clutch element slidable on the shaft and controllable by the lever, said second element being rotatable with the shaft, and means for operating the lever from the fuselage.

9. In an aeroplane of the class described, a fuselage, an upper Wing, a lower wing, a propeller disposed to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane above the upper wing,

and means to downwardly convey the current'of air set up by the rotation of said propeller and then discharge the same upwardly against the lower WlIlg.

10. In an aeroplane of the class described, a fuselage, a wing mounted on the fuselage,

a plurality of funnel-shaped members depending rom the. wing, a pipe passing through the fuselage and curved upwardly so as to terminate adjacent its bottom other pipes communicating the first mentioned pipe with the funnel-shaped members, a shaft in each funnel-shaped member, a pro peller mounted on said shaft so as to rotate independently thereof, a clutch 4 mechanism associated with each propeller and each shaft, and means whereby said clutch mechanisms may be operated in unison from the fuselage.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ANTONIO V. SANTARSIERO. 

